


to be young and pure of heart

by DramaticalHearts (kusokawaii)



Category: DRAMAtical Murder (Visual Novel), DRAMAtical Murder - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, Body Image, F/F, First Kiss, First Love, Fluff, Fondling, Gender or Sex Swap, Insecurity
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-25
Updated: 2017-02-25
Packaged: 2018-09-26 15:41:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,716
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9909251
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kusokawaii/pseuds/DramaticalHearts
Summary: Aoba couldn't believe her luck.Not only had she managed to work up the courage to tell her crush - the smartest, most talented, and prettiest girl in junior year - her feelings, the conversation went better than she could have ever expected. And now they're dating!But, there's something that Mink still doesn't know about her. And all the while she wonders: Why did Mink chooseher, an average girl in freshman year?When Aoba's secret comes to light faster than she had expected, she soon learns the truth - and the kind of person Mink truly is.(Cisswapped!MinAo, forMari!)





	

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first ever high school AU fic, and my first cisswap fic as well.
> 
> The title of this fic came from [this song.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jyQWXRJ8Lc4) Feel free to listen to it while you read this~
> 
> Enjoy~!
> 
> Special thanks to my beta readers [truejaku](http://archiveofourown.org/users/hereonourstreet/pseuds/truejaku) and [nikki_ntm](http://archiveofourown.org/users/nikki_ntm)!

“I, I like you... like, _like_ like you...”  
  
“...What was that?”  
  
“I like you!!”  
  
Aoba's words hung in the air, time seeming to slow to a crawl. She could hear the librarian shushing her, but he seemed far away, her focus fixed on one point: The tall girl in front of her.  
  
_Just tell her,_ she had told herself before this, psyching herself up. _Just tell her. The worst she can say is 'no'.  
  
_ But somehow the wait for her reaction felt worse. Aoba's face grew hotter and redder by the second. She looked down to avoid the other girl's gaze. Her heart fluttering in her chest, she wondered if she should have said anything after all.  
  
“I like you, too.”  
  
Aoba looked up, unsure she had heard her correctly. “Wh-what?”  
  
Mink was smiling softly. “I like you, too.”  
  
Aoba swore that her heart stopped at the sight, just for a moment.  
  


* * *

  
Aoba couldn't believe her luck. The girl she had looked up to since she had started her freshman year at Green Isle High, the beautiful, quiet, strong, smart, talented girl in junior year who she had her eye on since her very first day, the girl named Mink, liked her back. And wanted to date her!  
  
Aoba tried not to question it, but she wondered sometimes if she was truly worthy of someone like Mink. Mink could date anyone, girl or guy. Yet, she chose Aoba. Was it out of pity, or was Aoba the only one who had been brave enough to ask? Aoba doubted that – if it weren't for her quiet nature, Mink would be the most popular girl in school, she was sure of it.  
  
Aoba shook her head, dispelling the negative thoughts. Right now, Mink liked her. That was all that mattered.  
  
Her and Mink hadn't done much since Aoba's confession, though it had been just a few days since, so it was understandable. Mink had asked if she wanted to hold hands with her, and Aoba – blushing warmly – said yes, and savored every moment of it, the feel of Mink's hand, slightly rough from work and wear, and the way her hand fit in Mink's just right.  
  
They _had_ registered officially as tutor and pupil – Mink and Aoba, respectively – something Aoba had dreamed of since she fell for the older girl. Not only because it would give the two time alone – Aoba truly did need some help in a few subjects, and she knew if she had _Mink_ teaching her, it would stick.  
  
Their first tutoring session would be after classes today, and she could hardly contain her excitement. The school day felt even longer than it usually did; she couldn't wait for it to end.  
  
Right now she was on her way to one of her last classes of the day – Gym. It wasn't one of her favorite classes, but she managed to get a passing grade in it.  
  
She headed for the locker room, and once there, walked to her locker, located a fair distance from most of the other students'. Opening the locker door, she looked around her, checking if anyone was watching or looking her way.  
  
With a soft sigh of relief, she proceeded to change into her gym clothes, pulling her shirt up.  
  
“Aoba?”  
  
Aoba yelped, pulling her shirt up too quickly, pulling her bra along with it. To her horror, the motion dislodged a wadded up tissue from her bra, it falling to the floor beneath her, in plain view of whomever had spoken to her.  
  
Slowly, she looked up to see who it was, and the blood drained from her face.  
  
It was Mink, her expression innocent and confused. She had probably just meant to say 'hi'.  
  
But now, seeing Aoba's reaction, regret darkened her pretty face.  
  
Aoba couldn't stand it.  
  
Her eyes beginning to water, Aoba yanked her shirt back down again, picked up the tissue, and ran out of the locker room, ignoring Mink calling her name.  
  
She ran without thinking, as fast as she could, tears streaming down her face. She headed for the local playground, her sneakers scuffing in the soft dirt. Reaching the slide, she skidded to a stop, and sat down in the dirt beside it. The playground was mercifully quiet and deserted, the sky overcast. Aoba pulled her knees to her chest, trembling.  
  
She wrapped her arms around her legs, put her head down, and wept.  
  
She didn't want Mink to know this about her. That she _stuffs._ Though, Aoba thought, she probably would've figured it out, eventually... but not _now_ , not so soon. Not before she got to explain it to her first...  
  
Her face still felt hot. She was so embarrassed. Had anyone else seen it? She had no idea.  
  
She felt the tissue still clasped in her right hand. She wanted to throw it, and nearly did. Thinking better of it, she lowered her arm, and used the tissue to dry her eyes and nose.  
  
“Aoba?”  
  
Aoba raised her head at the voice, hearing footsteps approaching her.  
  
“Mink?” she said, as the taller girl crouched down in the dirt beside her. “What are you doing here? You should be in class...”  
  
Mink shook her head. “It's fine.”  
  
“Wh-what did you tell them?” Aoba asked, drying her eyes more with the already-dampened tissue.  
  
Mink reached into her bag, procuring a clean tissue and handing it to Aoba. “I told the teacher that you weren't feeling well, and that I was going to check on you.”  
  
“Thank you...” Aoba took the tissue. “Did... anyone see what happened...?”  
  
Mink shook her head. “I don't think so.”  
  
Aoba let out a sigh of relief, followed by a hitch in her breath. She was still so upset.  
  
“I... I guess I should explain...”  
  
Mink shook her head again. “You don't have to. Not right now.”  
  
“No,” Aoba said firmly. “I want to.”  
  
Aoba paused for a moment, thinking over what she'd say next. She squeezed the used tissue in her hand into a tight ball.  
  
“I'm... I'm really... flat-chested...” Aoba said, in a low voice. Mink leaned in closer to hear her. “It all started in middle school. All the girls were getting boobs, everyone except me... they all made fun of me, even my friends. So after a summer break, I decided to just... fake it. I took my sister's bra and stuffed it until it looked like what my friends had. I didn't think they'd buy it, but they did. So I couldn't stop. I've been stuffing ever since... I know I need to stop, but,” she choked back a sob, her eyes welling with tears again, “I can't... I don't know how...”  
  
Mink sighed softly, and wrapped an arm around her, pulling her close.  
  
Aoba looked up at her, teary-eyed and wary. “Are you disappointed in me...?”  
  
Mink shook her head once more, bringing Aoba closer. “No.”  
  
Despite the embarrassment and shame she felt, Aoba relished the closeness, burying her face in Mink's sweater as she softly wept. _She smells so good...  
  
_ Mink put another arm around her, wrapping Aoba in a secure, comforting embrace.  
  
They remained like that for a few minutes, until they felt raindrops start to fall, with increasing intensity. Standing up in a hurry, they began to run back to the school as the sky opened up, unleashing a downpour.  
  
“We should go back to class!” Aoba shouted over the din. “We're still studying together, right?”  
  
Mink simply nodded in response, the gesture so quick she almost missed it, and ran past her into the building, her steps strong and quick. Aoba followed suit, stopping once she reached the dry threshold of the entrance. She caught her breath and watched Mink as she gradually disappeared from her sight.  
  
_Maybe someday I'll be as fast as her,_ she  sighed wistfully. _Speaking of, I should get back to gym class...  
  
_ She ducked into the bathroom to fix her hair and readjust her bra and its contents. _I really should stop stuffing, anyway,_ Aoba thought. _This itches!  
  
_ She looked at herself in the mirror, damp hair and all, and sighed.  
  
_Someday...  
  
_ With that, she swallowed her pride and went back to Gym, apologizing to the teacher, telling her that she was well again, and the teacher made her run a lap in response.  
  
The school day came to an end, at last. Thoughts of Mink hadn't left Aoba's mind, and she wondered if Mink was the same way. Had she changed her mind after all? Who would really want to be with a girl who _stuffs,_ anyway?  
  
She tried to keep her anxious thoughts at bay as she made her way to the library, where she and Mink would hold their first tutoring session. _Mink isn't the kind of person who'd dump someone over something like this, right?  
  
_ Stepping into the library, her footsteps loud in the quiet space, she scanned the aisles and tables, silently scolding herself for not asking _where_ in the library they would meet.  
  
She didn't have to search for long, though – her eyes fell upon Mink at last, sitting at a table near a window, waiting patiently.  
  
Aoba rushed to the table, lifting the backpack off her shoulder and sitting it by her chair beside Mink's before she sat down. “Hi,” Aoba smiled, beginning to unload her schoolbooks from her backpack and stack them onto the dark wood table.  
  
“Hi,” Mink replied, watching the book stack grow higher and higher.  
  
“So, what do you want to work on today?” Mink asked, once Aoba had finished unpacking.  
  
“Ummm...” Aoba said, scanning her stack of textbooks. “Math?” she answered, unable to keep an involuntary cringe from showing on her face.  
  
“Alright,” Mink said, unfazed.  
  
Aoba turned a little too fast to her book stack, thumbing through it until she found her algebra textbook, then, realizing she hadn't retrieved it yet, hurriedly retrieved her math notebook, flipping past pages of her frantic scrawling to a clean sheet.  
  
They soon got to work, Mink patiently showing her how to solve the equations as Aoba tried her best to overcome the block her mind put up when encountered with a difficult math problem. Math in general was her worst subject. She felt embarrassed at having Mink explain things to her more than once because she just didn't _get it_ , but Mink didn't mind it at all. She was patient, gentle, but firm – she was determined to help Aoba succeed in this.  
  
Not only that, she empathized with her, understood where she was coming from, and why it was so difficult for her. Aoba could hardly contain her joy – just about everyone else who had tried to teach her math inevitably made her feel stupid or inadequate in some way. She didn't know how Mink did it, how she clicked in right away to what Aoba was thinking, but she appreciated it so much. She was _learning,_ at last.  
  
“So, do you want to take on another equation, or do you want leave the rest for another day?” Mink asked once they had surmounted a number of formulas that Aoba was having trouble with.  
  
“Yeah,” Aoba sighed, mentally exhausted but elated at the same time, “let's take a break from math today,” she giggled.  
  
Mink closed the textbook and handed the math class notebook back to Aoba. “Did you understand everything, though? Do you have any quest-”  
  
Mink was interrupted by Aoba's soft lips on the corner of her mouth, landing a light, quick kiss – there and gone in a matter of seconds.  
  
Aoba pulled back, taking in the sight of Mink's surprised expression, staring back at her with wide eyes. She felt her own face heat up.  
  
“I'm sorry...” she said, breaking eye contact. “I just wanted to thank you...”  
  
“It's fine,” Mink said, and when Aoba looked back up at her, she saw a smile tugging at her lips. “You're welcome.”  
  
Aoba sighed softly in relief. “It's just that... math is my worst subject, and everyone else has made me feel dumb about it... except you.”  
  
Mink's smile grew. “Well, let's just hope you'll retain it long enough to make an impact.”  
  
Aoba nodded vigorously. “I will, definitely.”  
  
Mink checked her phone. “It's been an hour. Do you want to start work on another subject?”  
  
_It's been an hour already?_ The time had flown by.  
  
“Umm, I'm not sure...” Aoba checked the time on her phone as well. “I don't have to go home yet, but maybe I should rest my brain. This was quite the workout,” she laughed.  
  
Mink gave a little laugh, too. Aoba loved her laugh – she had heard it only once or twice before. It was deep but mirthful.  
  
Mink suddenly leaned in close, her lips near Aoba's ear.  
  
“Do you want to kiss me?” she asked in a soft whisper. It gave Aoba goosebumps.  
  
She did. She did want to kiss her. More than anything.  
  
But how had she known?  
  
True, her eyes had wandered to Mink's lips... more than a few times during their study session, now that she thought about it, but she hadn't thought that the other girl would notice such a small gesture.  
  
Mink pulled away, and waited for Aoba's reply, her soft golden eyes watching her. The eyes that had always made her melt, now directed at her and her alone.  
  
Aoba swallowed, unconsciously licking her lips, and nodded.  
  
“But where?” she whispered back, casting a glance at their surroundings. The library was sparsely populated at the moment, but it was nowhere near private.  
  
“Hmm,” said Mink, scanning the library as well. “The bathroom, perhaps?” she offered, her gaze fixed on a white door on the opposite side of the room.  
  
“You think?” Aoba asked, looking in the same direction. It wasn't too far away. And really, how often did people use the library bathroom? She had never used it before.  
  
Mink nodded. “It should work.” She looked to Aoba. “You still want to?”  
  
Aoba gulped, her heart racing. This was really happening. She was going to make out with _Mink_. No, her _girlfriend_. Her _first_ girlfriend. She'd be lying if she said she wasn't nervous.  
  
But, her stubborn nature won out, and she nodded with enthusiasm.  
  
Mink smiled at her eagerness, and in a fluid motion, she rose from her chair. Aoba gathered her books and stuffed them back into her bag quickly, then moved – not too quickly – to join Mink, who was casually making her way to the bathroom door.  
  
Mink entered the bathroom first, without a trace of anxiety to be seen.  
  
Aoba arrived at the bathroom door and paused. Gathering her courage, she took a deep breath, and pushed the door open.  
  
The room and stalls were quiet and mercifully empty, save for the tall girl standing by the first stall door, waiting for her.  
  
Aoba closed the distance between them fast, a skip in her step. She stood in front of Mink, and stared up at her, heart beating fast. Heat rose to her face once again – could she really do this?  
  
Aoba stepped back, feeling shy, and focused on breathing for a moment. Mink stepped away.  
  
“Mink-!” Aoba said, panicked. Did she change her mind?  
  
Mink stopped at the very last stall, against the wall. She looked at Aoba. “Here. This should be a good spot.”  
  
Aoba hurried to her, and just as she was about to ask why, Mink reached around her, and pulled open the door of the last stall, swinging it wide open, blocking the both of them from immediate view from whomever might open the door to the bathroom.  
  
Aoba looked up at her and grinned. “Great idea.”  
  
Mink nodded with a smile. Aoba paused again, focusing on her breathing once more, trying to calm herself down. _Will I ever be ready for this?  
  
_ Mink began to lean down, but to her surprise, Aoba stood up on tiptoe to meet her, their lips meeting clumsily in the middle.  
  
Their lips moved against each other, slowly and tentatively sucking – Mink's lips were soft. That was the only thought in Aoba's mind, as time seemed to stand still. Caught up in the moment, she darted her tongue out daringly, licking Mink's lips softly before going back to their chaste kiss.  
  
For her part, Mink kept to Aoba's pace – though Aoba could tell that she was holding back.  
  
She started to feel light-headed. _Oh, that's right, I need to breathe.  
  
_ Aoba pulled back suddenly and gasped in a breath. Mink looked slightly amused.  
  
“Breathe through your nose next time,” she said with a small laugh.  
  
_Next time._ Aoba laughed too, looking up at her with a flushed face. _I must not be that bad at kissing, then.  
  
_ “Can next time be now?”  
  
Mink smiled, and nodded.  
  
Their lips met again, Aoba drawing herself closer to Mink. Mink's breasts, far larger than her own, pressed onto her softly. Aoba sighed – they felt so nice.  
  
Mink drew back, to Aoba's surprise. Had she forgotten to breathe, too?  
  
She leaned in again, and spoke in a low whisper, her breath ghosting across Aoba's cheek. “Can I touch you?”  
  
Her voice and request sent chills through Aoba's body. She nodded. “Yes,” she whispered back without thinking.  
  
They went back to kissing, and just when Aoba thought perhaps Mink hadn't heard her answer, she felt her hand at her left side, caressing her gently. Mink's other hand reached up to cradle Aoba's face, gently lifting it to meet her own.  
  
Mink's hand felt good, even through her shirt. Her hand gently massaged, up then down again, and when it went up again, her fingers landed on her bra, the paper inside it giving a soft crinkle that seemed loud in the quiet of the restroom.  
  
Aoba's breath stopped, her heart thudding in her chest. Somehow she had managed to forget about that, and the possibility that it might get in the way during a... moment like this. _What a turn-off...  
  
_ Before Aoba could say anything, Mink's hand had slipped under her shirt, drawing a soft gasp from her. She reached up to her bra, her fingers lightly running over it, before they reached in, gently pulling out the wadded paper gathered there and dropping it onto the floor. Aoba gasped again when she saw the paper land on the bathroom tiles.  
  
Mink, pulling back from their kiss, reached over and did the same with the other side of her bra, then returned to her left breast. She lifted and slid the slightly over-sized bra upward, and cupped the breast in her hand. Aoba froze.  
  
Mink manipulated it gently in her hand, taking care around her nipple. “I don't see anything wrong with what you have,” she said. “This fits in my hand just right. They're perfect. They're beautiful. They're _you._ ”  
  
Aoba looked up at her, feeling her eyes well up. “Mink...”  
  
She kissed Aoba again, Aoba kissing her back with vigor, taking Mink by surprise at first, before she matched her pace. Mink massaged her breast at the same tempo, lightly teasing her nipple.  
  
Aoba moaned softly into her mouth at the touch. She leaned into the kiss, placing her hand on Mink's shoulder to brace herself. Between the taste of Mink's mouth and the pleasant feeling of Mink's warm and gentle hands on her, Aoba's mind was floating. With her eyes closed, time and space didn't seem to matter anymore.  
  
And, she couldn't deny the warm sensations she felt in her lower region, getting stronger as they continued.  
  
The intensity becoming too much for her to bear, Aoba pulled back, catching her breath. She looked up at Mink, wiped her mouth with the back of her hand, and smiled.  
  
Mink smiled back. “Was that okay?”  
  
“It was amazing,” Aoba replied with a soft giggle.  
  
Mink seemed to let out a small sigh of relief. Aoba reached into her pocket, pulling out her phone. She checked the time, and gasped.  
  
“I have to go! I'm gonna miss the bus!”  
  
Mink stepped back, and Aoba hurriedly pulled her bra back down. Peering around the door first to make sure they were alone, Aoba stepped out to the sinks to check her appearance, reapplying her smeared lip gloss.  
  
Mink stepped out a moment after and did the same, though she didn't have as much to fix – Aoba hadn't made note of it at the time, but Mink hadn't been wearing any gloss or lipstick of any kind. Just her own, very soft, lips.  
  
Aoba threw her a nervous smile. Mink smiled easily in return.  
  
_She's really taking this in stride..._ Aoba thought. She was thankful to have shared her first kiss with someone so mature, but, just how experienced was she? How many girls – or boys – had she kissed before?  
  
Mink walked to the door and stood, waiting for Aoba to finish making herself presentable. When she had, Aoba met Mink at the door, who gestured for Aoba to go ahead of her.  
  
“You go first,” she said simply. Aoba nodded once, and stepped out of the door, Mink following a beat after.  
  
Aoba could hardly fight off the blush on her face. Walking through the library – with its few inhabitants in the same places they were before she and Mink had entered the bathroom, likely oblivious to what had taken place under their noses – felt scandalous in a way.  
  
She stopped suddenly, and veered toward the table where they had been studying – she had nearly forgotten her books. She made sure everything was packed, then slung the backpack onto her shoulder.  
  
Her pace quickened, remembering that the bus would be leaving soon. She cast a momentary glance behind her – Mink was following her still, but far enough away to look casual.  
  
Aoba looked ahead again, and pushed open the exit doors.  
  


* * *

  
“ _I missed the bus!”  
  
_ Aoba exclaimed, slumping forward in dismay. They had reached the bus stop just as the school bus had driven out of sight.  
  
“I'm sorry,” Mink said, her brow creasing in concern.  
  
Aoba shook her head. “It's not your fault. I mean, not really... it's okay, I can walk home. I'll just call Granny and let her know I'll be a little late.” She dug into her pocket for her phone.  
  
“I can walk you home,” Mink offered.  
  
Aoba paused, her phone in her hand. “O-okay,” she said, smiling. She then placed the call to her grandmother.  
  
“Granny? It's me. I'm going to be a little late coming home.”  
  
“Mmm? What happened?”  
  
“Nothing, I just missed the bus,” Aoba replied with a nervous laugh. “A friend's going to walk me home, so I'll be fine.” She looked over her shoulder at Mink, who didn't seem to mind being referred to in that way.  
  
“Alright, don't be too long! The sun's going down,” Tae replied grumpily.  
  
“I won't! I'll see you soon. Bye!”  
  
Aoba ended the call, slipping the phone back into her pocket. She turned to Mink with a smile. “Okay, my home's this way.”  
  
She set off walking down the sidewalk, Mink matching her pace to walk beside her. Aoba was ecstatic, but at the same time, she felt awkward – should they talk? About what?  
  
“Is your home far from here?” Mink spoke up.  
  
“Ah, it's not far,” Aoba answered. “About a fifteen minutes' walk, I think?”  
  
“Alright,” Mink said, and they fell back into silence again.  
  
It wasn't a comfortable one for Aoba, though – she wanted to talk with Mink more. She just needed something...  
  
As they came upon a convenience store, an idea popped into her mind.  
  
“Mink, let's get ice cream!”  
  
Mink stopped, a puzzled expression on her face. “Why?”  
  
“W-well, we haven't really had an actual... date yet, so, why not have a little one now?”  
  
She gave a hopeful smile, waiting for her reply.  
  
Mink's expression eased, replaced by a small smile. “Alright.”  
  
Aoba beamed, and bounded to the convenience store's door, pulling it open for her and Mink to enter.  
  
Going to the freezer display case, Aoba scanned the selection of frozen treats, as did Mink. They decided on chocolate-coated ice cream cones, Aoba's with vanilla ice cream, and Mink's chocolate.  
  
They paid for their treats, then walked out of the store together. They unwrapped their cones – tossing their wrappers in a trashcan nearby – and ate them as they walked. Aoba still wasn't sure what to say to Mink, or how to say it, but the sweet, milky taste of the ice cream soothed her nerves somewhat.  
  
“Do you like your ice cream?” she asked Mink.  
  
“Mm,” Mink replied affirmatively. “I don't usually eat ice cream, but this is good.”  
  
“That's good,” Aoba nodded. She made a mental note of that – Mink probably liked chocolate.  
  
There was another pause, in which Aoba decided just to ask what had been on her mind all this time.  
  
“Mink...” She munched on a piece of chocolate shell. “What do you like about me? I mean... you could be with anybody. Why me?”  
  
Mink sighed softly through her nose, delicately removing the last of the chocolate coating on her ice cream cone, leaving the ice cream completely exposed. She chewed it thoughtfully. “To be honest, I've had my eye on you for a long time.”  
  
Aoba nearly choked. “R-really?!”  
  
“Mm,” Mink nodded. “You caught my eye from the first day of the school year. Well, it was hard not to notice you, with your hair color and all,” she said with a small smirk.  
  
Aoba blushed. She liked her blue hair, a lot, but she knew how much it made her stand out.  
  
“But I noticed other things, too, in time. How stubborn you are. How strongly you feel about right and wrong, and helping others in need. How you don't rush to judgment, but keep your mind and heart open. And, how strong you are.”  
  
Aoba was speechless. She felt her ice cream beginning to drip down her fingers. Mink... had been watching her, too? And she liked her back, even before Aoba had asked her out? Then, why...?  
  
“What... w-why didn't you ask me out sooner, then?”  
  
Mink looked down at her ice cream. “You have a bright future ahead of you. I wouldn't want to insert myself into it, unless you wanted me there.”  
  
Aoba groaned. “Nnn, _Mink_ , what does that _mean?_ ” she whined.  
  
Mink paused for a moment before she answered. “That I'm not selfish.”  
  
Aoba fell silent. She realized then that Mink had no way of knowing before now whether Aoba liked girls or not – and if she did, if she would want to be in a relationship with an older one. Not wanting to force Aoba into a decision she may not have been ready for, or make her uncomfortable... that was commendable. To take Aoba's feelings into consideration like that, above her own... it touched Aoba's heart.  
  
“Oh,” she said simply. “Wait, you wouldn't be jealous? If I ended up choosing someone else?”  
  
“I would be, a little,” Mink shrugged, with a slight smirk. “But I'd get over it, if you found someone who cares about you, and makes you happy.”  
  
Aoba felt like her heart might burst. Mink loved her. Mink _really_ loved her. Loved her enough to want the best for her, regardless of whether she was with her or not.  
  
Aoba sidled up close to Mink, letting their arms touch with a soft bump. “Well... _you_ make me happy.”  
  
Mink smiled, and Aoba saw her face get pinker. “I'm glad.”  
  
Where their relationship would go from here, Aoba couldn't predict. But, the light, blissful feeling in her chest couldn't be denied – this was love, and she couldn't get enough of it. She was lucky enough to be this close to Mink, and have Mink return her feelings – she wasn't going to let go of it easily.  
  
She would try to hold onto this as tight as she can, and savor this feeling as long as she could, taking it day by day. Mink's love was something she'd never want to take for granted.  
  
Whatever challenges lay ahead, Aoba was prepared to face them. With Mink by her side, she felt like she could do anything.  
  
The very next day, she went to school wearing her own, unpadded, bra.  
  
And no one said a word.

**Author's Note:**

> If you want to keep up with me and my progress in writing, feel free to check out [my twitter!](https://twitter.com/DramaticalHeart)


End file.
